Death Wish Coffee
Good. Shows the people who make its products are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
New York brand selling extra-strong dark roast coffee.
Death Wish Coffee gets some of its coffee from Colombia, Peru and India.
Also worth knowing
Its coffee is Fairtrade certified, which comes with a minimum price for farmers and audits for child and forced labour.
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Why it's graded Good
- Met: Meets all 5 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
| Star | Awarded for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pays above a living wage | Not earned | |
| Gives workers a real voice | Not earned | |
| Open supply chain | Not earned | |
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities | Not earned |
3 stars for the first way it goes above and beyond, and one more for each further way, up to 6. About stars
Good requirements 5 of 5
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: strong fair-pay scheme (Fairtrade)
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listFully certified by Fairtrade, which holds and audits the list of farms. Death Wish Coffee doesn't publish its own.
Red flags 0
None found.
Where its coffee is grown
Death Wish Coffee is fully certified by Fairtrade, which holds and audits its list of farms. That covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where coffee is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| BrazilUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Colombia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| EthiopiaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| HondurasUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| UgandaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| GuatemalaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: coffee is on the US Department of Labor child or forced labour list for over a dozen countries, and farm-gate prices often fall below a living income. (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
Research notes Death Wish sells its coffee as Fair Trade Certified (through Fair Trade USA) and USDA Organic, which brings farm audits for child and forced labour and a minimum price, though not proof of a living income. It says its arabica and robusta beans come from India, Peru and other countries in South and Central America, and names Colombia for its cold brew latte, but names no cooperatives or farms and publishes no supplier list or modern slavery statement.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Certified | Death Wish coffee is sold as Fair Trade Certified (Fair Trade USA) and USDA Organic across its core range. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Death Wish Coffee is too small to be included in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | No Death Wish Coffee statement on the Australian register; it sells into Australia only online and is not required to report. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- TA Associates: Death Wish Coffee · search the archive · TA investment since 2021; beans are Fair Trade and USDA Certified Organic.
- Death Wish Coffee Organic and Fair Trade Dark Roast (Kroger) · search the archive · Core dark roast sold as Fair Trade Certified and USDA Organic; no origin countries named.
- Death Wish Organic Dark Roast Whole Bean (desertcart Australia) · search the archive · Death Wish coffee offered online with delivery to Australia; Fair Trade and USDA Organic.
- Death Wish Coffee Co. at Natural Products Expo West 2026 (BevNET) · search the archive · Core blends always Fair Trade and organic; Caramel latte uses 100% Colombian coffee (2026)
Published by Death Wish Coffee or its owner
- Death Wish Coffee FAQ · search the archive · Ships worldwide; no sourcing countries given.
- Death Wish Coffee: About us (read 18 October 2026) · search the archive · Sources USDA Organic and Fair Trade Certified arabica and robusta beans from India, Peru and other countries in South and Central America.
- What Fair Trade coffee means and why it matters (Death Wish Coffee) · search the archive · Death Wish's fair trade certifier is Fair Trade USA; its beans are also organic
Company details
- Owned by
- Privately held; private equity investor TA Associates (since 2021)
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Death Wish Coffee ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/death-wish-coffee, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Good means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Death Wish Coffee.